Firefox ‘Quantum’ is the biggest update since launch in 2004

Mozilla has launched the biggest ever update for its Firefox browser since its launch in 2004 under the name Firefox Quantum.

The new Firefox Quantum is “over twice as fast as Firefox from 6 months ago,” Firefox senior vice president Mark Mayo wrote today on the Mozilla blog. It features code contributions from more than 700 developers, as well as fixes for more than 1,500 bugs that had affected responsiveness, performance, and user experience.

In addition to a speed boost, Firefox Quantum also provides a new user interface called “Photon” that was designed to modernize the browser user experience, Mayo said.

Mozilla revealed that the update features a “completely overhauled core engine” that ensures that the browser delivers fast browsing as well as higher efficiency. With the new update Mozilla much be targeting an increase in its share from 9.1 per cent [according to Web-tracking W3Counter] to some appreciable number.

According to the not-for-profit organization it is targeting those users who are conscious and would go for the Firefox Quantum over Google Chrome that is driven by commercial interests. Firefox was once a dominant browser i.e. in 2010 holding a market share of 34.1 per cent. However, Chrome has managed to gain momentum by leaps and bounds while Firefox’s share declined substantially.

In a blog post Mozilla’s chief marketing officer wrote that their research shows both Mozilla and Firefox as well known brands, but very few are able to make a distinction between Firefox and Chrome from the not-for-profit and commercial angle.

“…fewer people understand that Mozilla is a not-for-profit responsible for pro-Internet technologies, policies, and programs beyond Firefox”, Kaykas-Wolff wrote.

According to Kaykas-Wolff Mozilla is going to promote Firefox Quantum to a market of “conscious choosers” who make up 23 percent of all Internet users who have a “worldview that is against monopolies and centralized power hubs, and for democratic access to information, knowledge, and resources”.

Mozilla’s timing for that strategy could prove to be spot on, as public concerns have grown about the roles of larger tech companies in enabling political trolling, ad-driven misinformation campaigns, and Russian interference in Western elections. On Oct. 31, for example, senior executives from Google, Facebook, and Twitter appeared before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C., to offer testimony and answer questions about suspicious online activities in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election.

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Alexander is an Australian who has also lived in Europe and is currently based in the US. He holds a bachelors degree in medical research with first class honours in neuroscience. Alexander enjoys writing in a range of fields in health science research.